Thomas & Friends: Episode Rewrites
by Hufflepuff Batboy
Summary: This is where my collection of rewritten Thomas & Friends episodes will go, either to fix up less than stellar stories or see how they play out with a different character. Sometimes, it's both. TODAY: Gordon acts rudely towards a new crane called Rocky but soon needs his help in "Edward, Gordon and the New Crane"!
1. Three Little Engines Gruff

**THREE LITTLE ENGINES GRUFF**

**Based upon "Three Steam Engines Gruff" by Andrew Brenner**

It was autumn on Sodor, and the engines of the Skarloey Railway were taking passengers up and down their line, and that included Sir Handel. Peter Sam was coming in the opposite direction.

"Hello, Peter Sam," called Sir Handel.

"Hello, Sir Handel," replied his friend, then he said in a cheeky way, "Don't the trees look spooky without any leaves?"

"Oh, Peter Sam, don't be ridiculous," Sir Handel rolled his eyes. "There's nothing spooky about it."

"Ooh, you'd be surprised," he laughed. "Sometimes they look like big hands reaching down on the tracks to grab you and pick you up like a toy train."

"You've always had a wild imagination," muttered Sir Handel. "They're only trees." He then puffed away, leaving Peter Sam chuckling to himself.

* * *

Further along the line, Sir Handel saw Rusty and some workmen moving some leaves that had clumped up on the line.

"Hey, Sir Handel," called Rusty. "I tell you; leaves and rain don't mix."

"Tell me about it," sighed Sir Handel. "It was a major problem near the Mountain Road on our old line."

"I understand," Rusty replied. "What's new with you?"

"Oh, Peter Sam was just making comments about how trees look spooky without any leaves," Sir Handel groaned.

"You know he's only joking, Sir Handel," chuckled Rusty.

"I suppose so," Sir Handel sighed. "I've known him since the day he was built and I still question his humor."

"That's yin and yang for you," said Rusty.

"Well, let's hope we don't run into this problem again," Sir Handel said to Rusty, setting off. "Good luck clearing it up."

* * *

Soon, evening fell on the Skarloey Railway and the engines were getting back to the sheds. Tonight, it was Peter Sam's turn to take the post train across the line.

"Good luck tonight, Peter Sam," said Luke. "I heard it may rain."

"I just hope leaves don't blow onto the tracks," said Peter Sam.

"The workmen just cleared them all," Rusty put in. "Keep your buffers crossed."

"Thanks, Rusty," said Peter Sam, and he steamed away to pick up his vans.

"Traveling by night is a peaceful thing," he smiled as he puffed away.

* * *

After he had picked up some post from James' train, Peter Sam heard a very high pitched noise in the distance.

"That's unusual..." Peter Sam said under his breath. "There's no other engines out tonight." He was quiet for a moment before calling. "Hello? Anyone there?"

There was no reply, but the whistle went off again.

"A GHOST!" Peter Sam cried, retreating to the shed.

* * *

Back at the sheds, the little engines were fast asleep when they heard frantic whistling coming their way, and three vans were heading fast backwards toward them, followed by a screaming Peter Sam. The vans then ran right into Sir Handel.

"Ouch!" he cried. "What was that about, Peter Sam?!"

"There's a ghost on our line!" cried Peter Sam.

"Peter Sam, you know there's no such thing as ghosts," Skarloey said gently. Duncan, on the other hand, found the whole situation amusing.

"First ya lose trucks off a bridge and now ye're too scared ta take the mail?" he laughed, much to the disgruntlement of everyone else.

"And then you got scared of a fake ghost soon after that," Rusty retorted.

"Hmph!" Duncan looked away and sulked.

"Peter Sam, you'd better get back out there and deliver the mail," said Rheneas.

"Uh... okay, I will," he sighed, hastily taking the vans away.

* * *

The next morning was bright and sunny, no sign of any rain clouds. Peter Sam was telling Sir Handel, Rusty and Duncan about what had happened on his run.

"...and then, while crossing the bridge between Glennock and Skarloey - the station, not the engine - I heard the high pitched noise again. It was like nothing I ever heard before. It was very, very spooky."

"Well, it's daytime now and the sun is shining," Rusty assured. "I'm sure whatever it was will be long gone away."

"Maybe it's hiding just to spook Peter Sam," smirked Duncan. "We all know how easily scared he is."

"Oh, leave him alone, Duncan," Sir Handel retorted.

"I have to go over the bridge to get the passengers to their destinations," gulped Peter Sam. "I hope the ghost really is gone this time."

"Well, I have to go over that bridge to take some trucks to the Blue Mountain Quarry," said Duncan.

"Look, there is nothing spooky about the bridge," sighed Rusty. "I have to cross over there to get the workmen to mend some tracks at the Blue Mountain Quarry myself."

"Let's just go about our jobs and see what happens," said Sir Handel.

The four friends split up, and Sir Handel was the first one to be heading towards the bridge.

"All the stories we were told from Duke back on our old line must be going to Peter Sam's smokebox," he said to himself. But then, he came up the bridge.

"Why are you slowing down, ol' boy?" asked his driver. "Is there an animal on the line?"

"No, it's not that," said Sir Handel.

"Then what is it?"

"Peter Sam says he heard something spooky last night as he went over this bridge," Sir Handel explained. "But I'm sure there's nothing to-"

Then he heard the high pitched noise that Peter Sam heard.

"Gah!" yelped Sir Handel. "Ghosts don't take place during the daytime!" Sir Handel raced away, leaving his crew very confused and surprised. He saw his friends soon after he left the bridge.

"Did you hear it, Sir Handel?" asked Peter Sam.

"Yes, I heard that high pitched noise you mentioned," quivered Sir Handel.

"I'm sure there is a sensible explanation for this," Rusty told them.

"Aye, maybe there _is_ a troll under the bridge." said Duncan. "Don't ye remember the Three Billy Goats Gruff?"

"Oh, that old fairy tale," said Sir Handel. "The billy goats got the littlest one to go first, and he survived by getting the troll to go after his older brother."

"So there's a troll on the railway?" asked Peter Sam. "Oh my..."

"There can't be a troll," said Sir Handel. "Peter Sam and I heard a whistle."

"Now we're getting somewhere," said Rusty. "There has to be an engine."

"But who?" asked Peter Sam. "An engine that came before we did?"

"I don't know," said Rusty. "But the only way we'll know is if we check it out."

"Er... you mean we all have to go to the bridge?" Sir Handel asked.

"Yes," said Rusty. Now Peter Sam and Sir Handel looked more nervous than before; this wasn't helped by the sound of thunder and lightning, indicating that a storm was about to begin.

"I don't wish to see whoever it is," cried Peter Sam. "I'm getting out of the way first!"

"Right behind you," came Sir Handel. Rusty sighed and followed right behind them, just as the rain began to fall.

* * *

"Calm down, Peter Sam," said his driver. "What are you racing for?"

"I can't stop, there's something unusual on the Skarloey Railway," he told his driver.

"It's probably gone," sighed the fireman. "I wouldn't worry about it."

"A ghost _is_ something to worry about!" protested Peter Sam. The high pitched noise was heard again.

"The ghost is back!" Peter Sam cried, rushing forward.

"I'm not sticking around," added Sir Handel. "Wait for me!"

"Duke really told a lot of stories that spooked you, didn't he?" muttered Rusty.

"Rusty, be careful!" cried Sir Handel, hearing the diesel moving. "The ghost may get you."

As Rusty traveled forward, he heard the sound too, but he looked around carefully to see if he could spot anything out of the ordinary.

"If you can hear us," he called to nothing in particular, "will you please come forward?" The little diesel then tooted his horn, hoping to get a response.

"Rusty?" called the reply, and a whistle came shortly after. "Is that you?"

"Wait a minute," said Peter Sam. "That voice sounds familiar..."

"It's Trevor!" realized Sir Handel. Sure enough, the green traction engine was stuck in thick mud in a nearby field.

"Trevor, what are you doing so close to our line?" asked Sir Handel.

"The farmers here needed someone to help saw logs for lumber deliveries," Trevor explained. "My normal driver was out sick, and my relief driver was foolish enough to drive me into some super thick mud."

"So this whole thing... was a misunderstanding?!" snapped Sir Handel, causing Peter Sam to chuckle sheepishly.

"Take it easy, Sir Handel," soothed Trevor. "Peter Sam didn't know about the mess I was in. Although I could use some help if it's no bother."

"Oh, of course," Peter Sam agreed. "Driver, could you call Terence's owner?"

Peter Sam's driver did so, and soon, Terence was brought over to help Trevor out.

"That's better," Trevor sighed. "Thanks, Terence."

"Glad to be of service, Trevor," smiled Terence.

"We'd better get back to work," said Rusty. "See you two later."

"Wait, I have an idea," said Peter Sam, and he whispered a plan to Sir Handel, Rusty and Trevor.

* * *

"Duncan, Duncan!" cried Rusty, panting and tooting his horn frantically. The gruff Scottish engine looked at the little diesel with surprise; this was uncharacteristic of Rusty to be in such a panic.

"Duncan, there's a m-monster over there," Rusty explained.

"Don't tell me Sir Handel and Peter Sam have been telling you too many ghost stories lately," grunted Duncan, puffing over to where Rusty was looking.

"I don't see anything unusual..." Duncan said quietly. Just then, he heard the high pitched sound along with a low sound echoing around the area.

"Wh-what was that?" asked Duncan worriedly. The echo came back as soon as it faded away.

"Gh-gh-ghost!" he cried, racing off. After Duncan was out of earshot, Trevor and Terence came out from behind a hollow log, laughing.

"Poor Duncan, getting spooked again," laughed Rusty.

"Pretty good plan, wouldn't you agree, Sir Handel?" chuckled Peter Sam.

"Well... I guess it is kind of funny," Sir Handel chuckled. The three engines, Trevor and Terence all shared a good laugh, knowing that Duncan won't be teasing anyone for the rest of the autumn season.

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

At long last, I'm back with writing stories and rewrites for _Thomas and Friends_! Last time I wrote for it was back in 2015, and a lot of them were not very good by my current standards. Hopefully that will change as we come into the new decade.

Anyway, as for my rewrite of _Three Steam Engines Gruff_, my least favorite episode of an otherwise amazing season 20, I thought that Percy and Toby were very badly characterized, going back on the character rerailment they went through beforehand. On another downside, the Skarloey engines didn't get any focus, and any they did manage to get were nothing more than bit parts. They are underutilized to a ridiculous extent. That was very much why I chose Sir Handel, Peter Sam and Rusty in place of Thomas, Percy and Toby, and even expanded on Trevor's role and gave Terence and Duncan some roles to play as well.

So, will there be more rewrites from me? You can bet there will be! I don't know what I'll rewrite next; I guess it'll be a surprise as to what I choose. As an aside, I'd been inspired by the writings (and rewritings) of Chase The Ferroequinologist and DDandT6 that they've done here as of late to get back to writing for Thomas again. Check them out while you can; they are amazing writers and deserve all the exposure they can get.


	2. Toby and the Washout

**TOBY AND THE WASHOUT**

**Based upon "Toby and the Flood" by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton and "Washout" by Christopher Awdry**

Thomas had been sent to the Steamworks for an overhaul, leaving Percy and Toby to handle the workload on the branch line. Daisy and Mavis also pitched in as much as they could, knowing that Thomas would want them to work hard despite his absence, but heavy snowfalls had soon hit the Island of Sodor. They were soon replaced by heavy rainfalls, but it seemed like they never stopped, which dampened the moods of everyone as they worked.

Whenever Toby crossed the bridge over the river near Hackenbeck, he, his crew and Henrietta noticed that the water level was gradually becoming much higher.

"I don't like the look of this," he said nervously. "If that river reaches the level of the railway lines..."

"That I don't want to think about," sighed the driver. "It's a good thing that we have that dam upstream to contain the water."

"Thank goodness for that," agreed Toby, and carried on his way.

"You know, Toby," said Henrietta, "that river's got to come a lot higher if it's going to stop us."

Toby shuddered, and couldn't help worrying about history repeating itself, especially as he'd had a near miss with a broken bridge before Mavis saved him, and even remembered Percy's run-in with a flood.

* * *

The dam had been built many years ago, long before Thomas came to Sodor, so it could contain water to serve to the communities of both Hackenbeck and Ffarquhar. However, in recent years, vegetation was beginning to grow on the sides of the wall, and it was showing signs of wear and tear. Harold the helicopter had been assigned to inspect the dam to make sure it was secure. Water from the two portholes near the bottom of the dam rushed out, swirling in its hurry to meet the river.

Suddenly, Harold noticed something about the dam.

"There's a few leaks!" he cried to his pilot. "We must warn everyone in case it collapses!" It was a good thing Harold had noticed the leaks, because after he'd left, more began to form, threatening to take the dam down.

* * *

Meanwhile, down at Elsbridge, Toby and Henrietta had reached Elsbridge safely to deliver their train of stone to Douglas.

"Efternoon, Toby," said Douglas. "Ye an' Henrietta ur lookin' woriat thaur."

"It's the bridge near Hackenbeck," explained Toby. "I'm afraid that one of these days, it'll collapse, and I daren't think what could happen if one of us was on it..."

"Och, spaur me th' thooght," replied Douglas, as Toby began to shunt his trucks into position. The weather had begun to get worse, and before anyone could say "Sir Topham Hatt", Toby had shunted his trucks harder than intended behind Douglas' train.

"Oi, be cannie back thaur!" called Douglas.

"Sorry, Douglas!" called Toby. "This rain is making it harder to see."

"Aye, an' I'll need lots ay sain if I'm gonnae make it tae Vicarstoon," sighed Douglas. "Who knows when thes weaither will lit up?"

The two engines said their goodbyes, and while Douglas carried on with his goods train, Toby and Henrietta made their way back to Ffarquhar, unaware of the danger heading their way.

* * *

Up ahead, Percy was about to take Annie and Clarabel on their passenger run when they saw Harold swooping in, looking urgent.

"Bad news, I'm afraid, old chap," he said. "The dam's about to break up, and that could mean trouble for you on the branch line."

"But what about the passengers?" asked Percy worriedly.

"I'm afraid you'll need Bertie's help with that," said Harold gravely. "Your safety is important."

"He's right, you know," said Annie.

"We don't want to end up taking a bath," added Clarabel. But then, Percy had an awful thought.

"Toby and Henrietta are coming this way!" cried Percy. "If the news doesn't get to them, they could be in trouble!" Quickly, he was uncoupled from the coaches and rushed over to the bridge.

* * *

When Percy had arrived at the bridge, he could see the water level was now higher than ever. Any moment now, the bridge could collapse. Just then, he heard the sound of a familiar bell and gasped.

"Toby!" shouted Percy. "Don't cross the bridge! It could collapse at any moment!"

But Percy's cries were lost to the sound of falling rain, and so Toby and Henrietta couldn't hear him properly.

"Driver!" cried Percy. "Use my lamp as a signal! That should get their attention!" His driver jumped from the small engine's cab, and then began turning Percy's lamp on and off again, like Morse code.

* * *

"What's that?" said Toby, noticing the light going on and off.

"That looks like Morse code," said his driver. "S-T-O-P - we have to stop!" As they got closer, Percy came into their view, and quickly, Toby's driver put on the brakes.

* * *

By now, everything seemed to happen at once; the dam was leaking so much that it had finally collapsed, water rushing out at a tremendous rate! The river was now rushing much harder than it had ever done, heading straight towards the bridge! Toby had managed to stop, but unfortunately, he and Henrietta were halfway across when they noticed the river coming towards them.

"Go back! Go back!" cried Percy, blowing his whistle. Frantically, Toby tried to reverse himself and Henrietta away from disaster, but he wasn't fast enough. The bridge on Percy's end was now breaking away, leaving Toby leaning at an awkward angle.

"Ohhh, help!" he wailed. Henrietta had been uncoupled and was chained onto one of the sleepers for her safety, but she looked back in horror as she saw the position her closest friend was in.

"Oh no! Toby!" she screamed. Harold had flown in just in time to see the tram engine in peril.

"Here, Percy!" he called to the green engine. "Use this rope to keep the bridge secure! I'll see if I can pull Toby to safety!"

Percy's driver caught the rope and tied one end to the bridge before tying the other onto Percy's hook. The little green engine then began to pull back on the bridge to keep the river from washing it and Toby away.

"But not too hard," called Harold. "We don't want to make this situation any worse!" Luckily, Harold also had a chain with him, and one end was attached to his underside while the other was on Toby's rear hook.

"Please hurry!" cried Toby. "I don't think the bridge can hold on much longer!"

"We're working on it!" called Harold. "Don't worry, Toby; you'll be safe before you know it!"

Once the chain was attached to Toby, Harold began to pull hard. Slowly but surely, Toby felt himself moving off of the bridge and back onto firm ground once more. They were just in time; no sooner was Toby off the bridge when it finally gave away.

"That was a close call there," gasped Toby, still processing what had almost happened to him. He and Percy both looked down at where the bridge once stood, now lying in the middle of the brown, rushing stream.

"Oh, thank you, Harold," cried Henrietta, "for saving my Toby from certain doom!"

"Glad to be of service," said Harold, "and even gladder that everyone's safe and accounted for."

* * *

Eventually, the heavy rains died down, and the damage could be assessed. Thankfully, the only major damage done was to the dam and the bridge near Hackenbeck, but that meant Thomas' branch line had to be closed whilst repairs were going on.

Toby, Henrietta and Percy were badly shaken up following what had just happened, but after a few days of recovering in the sheds, they pitched in with the rebuilding efforts. The new bridge at Hackenbeck was to be much stronger than the previous one, with stone columns at either end giving the bridge a much stronger foundation. While all this was happening, Bertie helped out with the passenger runs between Hackenbeck and Ffarquhar, picking up passengers from Daisy at the halt near the bridge.

By the time Thomas had come back from his overhaul, both the bridge and the dam had been repaired and life soon returned to normal on the branch line. But for a long time afterwards, Toby was always extra careful whenever he crossed the bridge near Hackenbeck, especially since he'd almost had a bath in the stream.

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

Well, that was fast! Literally, this was something that I wrote up within a couple of hours. I find _Toby and the Flood_ to be a very problematic episode, especially given the severe lack of logic in the second half. By mashing this up with _Washout_ from the book _Thomas Comes Home_, I was able to make the story feel more realistic and still maintain the sense of drama the original episode was going for. I'll be doing more Christopher Awdry rewrites in the style of the CGI series, but don't expect Thomas to be the star in the majority of them, especially since there's stories that could've easily gone to other characters.


	3. Bulgy Rides Again

**BULGY RIDES AGAIN**

**Based upon the episode by Brian Trueman**

Summer had come to the Island of Sodor, and that meant a big surge in holiday makers wanting to travel by train. But sometimes, the workload was too much for the engines on both the North Western and Skarloey Railways, and so they needed help from buses like Bertie.

On the Little Western, Duck found himself working harder than ever. Oliver was at the Steamworks for a service, and Donald and Douglas were busy on the mainline, so they couldn't be there all the time. Emily and her coaches Martha and Julian had been helping out with extra passenger services.

"Your line is very lovely, Duck," said Emily one evening at the sheds. "It's not every day that I get to see a seaside beside the line."

"I'm glad to hear that, Emily," said Duck, "but all the same, I know you'll probably be needed back on the mainline soon."

"Goodness knows when Oliver will be back from the Steamworks," agreed Emily. At that moment, Sir Topham Hatt had arrived at the sheds, looking concerned.

"I'm afraid, you two," he said, "that Oliver will be at the Steamworks a bit longer than I had anticipated. He was expected to be back in service in a few days, but now it looks as though it may be a month at most."

"That doesn't sound good, sir," said Emily with worry.

"That's not the worst of it," continued Sir Topham Hatt. "Donald's burst his safety valve, and that means more work on the mainline."

"Sounds like there's a double-decker problem we're facing, sir," said Duck.

Sir Topham Hatt then looked thoughtful. "A double-decker problem?" he pondered. "Hmm…" Duck gasped and quickly realized what he may have accidentally implied.

"Oh no…" he whispered once Sir Topham Hatt had left. "That Bulgy had better not be brought back into service…"

"Bulgy?" asked Emily. "Who's that?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Duck. "You weren't around when Bulgy came to the island."

"Well, what happened?" asked Emily curiously.

"Bulgy's a double-decker bus," explained Duck. "He came to Sodor years ago to help with passenger services for Bank Holiday, but he hated the railways and wanted to see them ripped up in favor of roads."

"That's just twisted," remarked Emily in shock.

"You're telling me," agreed Duck. "Bulgy soon got his comeuppance when he tried to steal mine and Oliver's passengers before getting stuck under what we now call Bulgy's Bridge and he was turned into a henhouse as punishment."

"I was wondering why a double-decker bus was stuck in a field near that bridge," said Emily. "Now I know."

"I was hoping that would be the last of him," sighed Duck, "but it seems like I've doomed the line by mistake."

"Never you mind, Duck," said Emily. "I'm sure that Sir Topham Hatt will keep a tight leash on Bulgy from going anti-rail again."

"I hope so too," said Duck, but he didn't sound convinced.

* * *

The following morning, Sir Topham Hatt drove up to Bulgy's field where the dilapidated bus sat, sulking and surrounded by his hens. Butch the breakdown lorry had also arrived with a flatbed in tow.

"Si-Sir Topham Hatt, sir!" exclaimed Bulgy, surprised to see the controller of the North Western Railway. "What brings you to my field, sir?"

"My railway is having a bit of an engine shortage right now," Sir Topham Hatt explained. "I've spoken with the bus company, and they've agreed to have you restored to working order to help out with the passenger rush."

Bulgy seemed to grin wide upon hearing this bit of good news.

"However," Sir Topham Hatt continued, "I and several other members of the bus company will be keeping a close eye on you to make sure you don't go anti-rail against my engines again. Is that understood, Bulgy?" he finished sternly.

"Oh, yes, sir!" said Bulgy cheerfully. "Clear as crystal! I'll be the best bus I can be!"

"Good," said Sir Topham Hatt. "Alright, Butch," he said to the breakdown lorry. "Once he's loaded on your trailer, you're to take him to Jem Cole's yard."

"I'm on it, sir," smiled Butch. "Come on, Bulgy. Let's get you to Jem Cole and see what he can do with you."

It wasn't long before Bulgy was loaded onto Butch's trailer and taken to Wellsworth. All the way, Butch had failed to notice Bulgy grinning to himself.

"The revolution will rise once again," he chuckled deviously. "That fat bloke will be in for a shock when his rails are ripped up and roads paved in their place!" Being stuck in a field for several years and surrounded by nothing but hens had loosened more than a few bolts within Bulgy.

* * *

Trevor was waiting at the Jem Cole's yard when he noticed Butch coming in with Bulgy in tow.

"Well, here we are, Bulgy," said Butch. "Hope to see you out on the roads soon."

"Bulgy!" exclaimed Trevor. "I wasn't expecting for Jem Cole to restore you back into service."

"You'd better believe it, old timer," chuckled Bulgy. "It won't be long before I'm back on the roads and we make a stand against the railways."

"Please don't say that," said Trevor. "I have friends who work on the railway."

"Pah," scoffed Bulgy, rolling his eyes. To him, any road vehicle that was friendly with the railway was a road traitor.

"I know you only work with passengers," said Trevor, "but perhaps it wouldn't hurt to also help with delivering fruits and vegetables for market season."

"What, me?!" snorted Bulgy. "Delivering fruit and veg? What sort of rubbish is that? I only work with passengers, and nothing else! So there!"

"It was only a suggestion…" said Trevor quietly.

* * *

Several days later, Bulgy was restored to working order. He looked at himself in a reflection off of a nearby window.

"Now that's more like it," he said proudly. "Trevor's owner's done a smashing job. At least there's people like him who understand the roads."

Just then, Bulgy's new driver went inside and took the wheel.

"Come on, then," he said. "We're to return to your old field."

"What?!" protested Bulgy. "Why can't I take shelter at… well, a bus shelter like that puny rail-loving hippie Bertie?"

"Apparently, there isn't enough space for you," explained his driver. "You'll just have to make do, I'm afraid. Besides, it's only a temporary thing."

"I suppose so," sighed Bulgy. "But hopefully I never have to deal with those hens again after this…"

* * *

As Bulgy drove along the roads, he noticed James the red engine waiting at Wellsworth station with a local passenger train.

"Enjoy your passengers while you can, James!" Bulgy called out nastily to him. "Sooner or later, they'll want to ride in me and not those old shacks on wheels!"

"Is that a flock of hens I see?" James retorted cheekily. "I think they may be looking for something to sleep in!" Bulgy scowled back, but he didn't reply.

* * *

Eventually, however, Bulgy returned to his field and rested there for the evening. The hens were impressed; they thought their old home looked splendid. Bulgy's driver went home for the evening, leaving the devious double-decker bus alone with the hens in the field. As Bulgy slept soundly, he failed to notice the hens making their way inside and rest on his luggage racks. There the hens slept for the whole night.

* * *

The following morning, Duck and Emily were getting ready for their passenger runs at Arlesburgh. Duck groaned with dread as he recognized a large, familiar red shape roll up to them, accompanied by the ringing of a bell.

"Hello there, quackers," smirked Bulgy. "It's been a while since we last worked together, hasn't it?"

"Not long enough, if you ask me," retorted Duck.

"You better not be stirring any trouble for us," added Emily crossly. "Duck told me everything about when you first arrived here."

"Oh, don't be upset with me, big wheels," said Bulgy. Emily's scowl just deepened upon hearing that insult. "I only want to help you out," the double-decker bus continued. "Help bring you all to the scrap heap…" he muttered quietly.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing," said Bulgy innocently. "Today's going to be a trial run for me, so don't be surprised if your trains have less passengers over the course of the day." He then drove off before either engine had a chance to respond.

"He's worse than ever," said Duck unhappily. "Being stuck in a field for so long can drive anyone mad. Bulgy's practically a few eggs short of a basket."

Emily chuckled at the joke the Great Western engine had just made. "Don't you mean he's become a crazy hen bus?" Both engines laughed at that.

"Well, that too," said Duck, setting off with his own coaches. "Let's just hope for the best, Emily, that Bulgy doesn't do anything foolish."

* * *

Against Duck's concerns, surprisingly, Bulgy's trial run had started out smoothly. The passengers didn't complain, and the traffic wasn't so bad either. However, no one had noticed something rather bizarre inside of the double-decker bus, but they were about to find out sooner or later.

* * *

As Bulgy was trundling along the road, thinking about ways to take his revenge on the railway for putting him in a humiliating position, he noticed Terence the tractor right in front of him with a cartload of fresh fruits and vegetables, ready for market. Bulgy growled with annoyance and honked his horn at Terence.

"Hurry up, you great orange slug!" he shouted rudely. "Could you go any slower?!"

"Take it easy, Bulgy," called Terence. "These fruit and veg need great care if the farmers want to sell them."

But Bulgy wasn't having any of it, and so he decided to try and overtake Terence and his cart instead. Suddenly, he and his driver noticed that a post van was right in their way on the other side of the road!

"Oh, bother!" cried Bulgy, and once again swerved out of the way. This proved to be a big mistake, as Bulgy's sudden movements caused a great commotion from inside!

"_Ba-gaaaawwwk!_"

The hens were still fast asleep by the time Bulgy had left his field, but the sudden movement he made in swerving to avoid crashing into the post van had startled them awake, and now they were running, flying and flapping all over on the inside! The passengers were very startled by this, and had ended up getting covered in eggs and feathers! Bulgy's driver was so distracted by the commotion that he didn't see where Bulgy was headed until it was too late.

Bulgy ran right into a nearby market stand, spraying fruits and vegetables everywhere. None of the passengers had been hurt, but they were very cross about the whole situation and went to complain to Bulgy and his driver.

"We'll have to report this to Sir Topham Hatt!" they cried.

"It's not my fault…" Bulgy sulked, but no one bothered to listen to him.

* * *

It wasn't long before Terence had arrived with his delivery and then he and Trevor helped to clear away the mess. Bulgy looked worried when Sir Topham Hatt showed up.

"Running off the roads into fruit stands, Bulgy?" he mused. "I am surprised. Even more so that no one noticed the hens resting on your luggage racks."

"That I wonder too," Bulgy grunted. "Silly hens. Silly passengers. The railway can have them both for all I care…"

"Now the question is what we're going to do regarding the spoiled fruit and vegetables," pondered Sir Topham Hatt. He hadn't heard Bulgy's grumbling about hens and passengers, but Trevor had.

"Excuse me, sir," he called, "but I may have an idea if you're interested."

"Really?" asked Sir Topham Hatt. "Go on then, Trevor…"

* * *

Oliver had just arrived home at Arlesburgh, ready to return to work once again. Duck and Emily greeted him warmly.

"Now we'll be able to keep up with the workload around here," said Duck. "You're welcome to return to the line any time, Emily."

"Thanks, Duck," said Emily. "Oh, and Oliver, have you heard about Bulgy?"

"I have," said Oliver gravely. "He's not out trying to steal our passengers again, is he?"

Emily smirked, trying to hold back laughter. "No," she said, "but you'll never believe what he's doing now…"

No sooner had Emily said that, a large green double-decker bus pulled up into the parking lot and then its driver opened up its serving hatch. Oliver was confused at first, but then he noticed the unmistakable scowl on the bus' face.

"Bulgy?!" he exclaimed, now seeing the funny side of it. "You're a mobile vegetable stand?"

"Wasn't my choice," Bulgy grumbled. "That Trevor suggested that I become one after my accident at the marketplace, delivering fruit and vegetables all over the island. But just you wait; once I've done that bit of community service, I'll be back on the roads trying to take your passengers again!"

"Oh, I don't know about that," smirked Duck. "I think green looks good on you. Besides, at least produce doesn't lay eggs, nor does it complain!"

Bulgy just seethed; although he didn't want to admit it, Duck did have a point. Emily blew her whistle goodbye and then set off with Martha and Julian back to the mainline. Duck and Oliver soon set off to work, both laughing about Bulgy's current situation.

"LAUGH WHILE YOU CAN, STEAMERS!" he shouted as the two tank engines set off. "BECAUSE I'LL HAVE THE LAST LAUGH WHEN I'M BACK TAKING PASSENGERS AND YOU'RE ON THE SCRAP LINES! FREE THE ROADS! FREE THE ROADS FROM RAILWAY TYRANNY!"

Somehow, I don't think Bulgy will get his revenge any time soon. Do you?

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

With the release of series 21's _Unscheduled Stops_, it seemed strange that Bulgy would switch from antagonist to railway helper and then back to being anti-rail again, with his anti-rail persona being further solidified in _Free the Roads_, a fantastic episode, by the way, resulting in _Bulgy Rides Again_ sticking out like a bent fender. It was also strange that Duck wasn't featured in the actual episode, despite his history with Bulgy. Hopefully this rewrite was able to not only bring back that bit of lost opportunity, but also fit in a lot better with the current direction of the show as well as Bulgy's character. I just love how he's portrayed in the CGI series, and I imagine that being stuck in a field with no one but hens for company could drive someone like Bulgy more desperate than he already was to try and take over the railways.


	4. Edward, Gordon and the New Crane

**EDWARD, GORDON AND THE NEW CRANE**

**Based upon "Edward Strikes Out" by Sharon Miller**

Judy and Jerome have been part of the North Western Railway since its early days. They are a pair of breakdown cranes used for helping engines, coaches and trucks out after an accident. Whenever they're not on duty, Judy and Jerome can be found sleeping heavily at the station yard near Knapford, only waking up if there's an emergency or if they think there is.

"Emergency!" they cried together.

"Judy!"

"Jerome?!"

"Where's the accident?!"

"Is a bridge out?"

"Na, ye two," sighed Donald, who had buffered up to them. "I'm juist taking ye oot tae repair some track alang th' mainline."

"Oh," Judy and Jerome sighed together with disappointment.

"A bit of boring maintenance work for us, then," said Jerome as Donald set off with them.

"But at least it's something to keep ourselves from catching dust and cobwebs," said Judy, trying to lift her brother's spirits up. "I can still feel those spiders in my gears…"

Two of the most famous accidents that Judy and Jerome helped to clear up were when James crashed into a field after his wooden brake blocks failed and when Henry ran into another train on a siding pulling the Flying Kipper. But over time, the two cranes were beginning to feel their age; even with Harvey's arrival a few years back, there was only so much he could do, so Sir Topham Hatt brought in a new crane to supplement them.

* * *

That morning, Emily, Edward and Gordon were at Knapford station, waiting to depart with their own trains. They could see the new crane on a siding, a few lines away from Judy and Jerome. He was big, painted red with yellow hazard stripes and looked very strong.

"I'm sure that crane could even lift a big engine like you, Gordon!" joked Emily.

Gordon didn't think this was funny. "That crane might be big," he sniffed, "but he can't be as strong as Judy and Jerome. Two cranes are better than one, I'd say."

"Now Gordon," said Edward, "we should at least give him a chance."

"Pah!" huffed Gordon. "He will only get in the way."

Presently, Sir Topham Hatt arrived. "Gordon, you are to collect some pipes and take them to Brendam Docks. The pipes are heavy, so you'll need Edward to be your back engine."

"Why can't Donald and Douglas do it, sir?" protested Gordon. "They like gallivanting off on branch lines!"

"Don't you remember?" asked Emily. "They're busy on the mainland helping with another job on the Scottish railway."

"Emily is right, Gordon," said Sir Topham Hatt. "And need I remind you that really useful engines don't argue?"

"Fine," sighed Gordon.

* * *

The flatbeds were right next to the new crane, and they were loaded with pipes. Gordon backed up to one end of the train, and Edward came up behind.

"My name's Rocky," the crane smiled at the blue engines.

"Hello, Rocky," smiled Edward. "I'm Edward, and this is Gordon."

"Can I come with you?" asked Rocky. "I could help you with those heavy pipes."

Edward thought it was a good idea, but before he could say anything, Gordon interrupted.

"Certainly not!" the big blue engine snapped. "We don't need any help from new-fangled nonsense like you!"

"Gordon!" snapped Edward. "That was uncalled for!"

Rocky felt hurt after Gordon's remark. Edward felt sorry for the new crane as he and Gordon set off for Brendam docks.

"I'm very sorry about Gordon's behavior," Edward apologized as they passed. "I promise that he is the exception, not the rule."

Emily had seen what had happened and was very cross with Gordon's behavior.

"Why does he have to be so narrow-minded when it comes to new arrivals?" she huffed to herself.

* * *

As the two engines went further along the main line, Edward noticed that the pipes weren't tied down properly.

"We should slow down, Gordon!" he called. "I think the workmen forgot to tie the pipes down."

But Gordon wasn't listening to Edward. He was thinking about Rocky and was going too fast to be safe. _Two cranes are better than one,_ he thought to himself.

Suddenly, the signal up ahead changed to red. Edward applied his brakes. "Stop, Gordon!" he called out. "The signal is red!"

Gordon slowed down as well, but there was a sharp bend ahead. Then…

_Crash!_

The steel pipes fell off the flatbeds and scattered all across all the lines, meaning that no engines could get by.

"Oh dear," sighed Edward. "We'll have to get Rocky to-"

"Absolutely not!" snapped Gordon. He asked his driver to telephone for Harvey instead.

"I don't think Harvey will clean up all the pipes himself," said Edward with concern. "He'll probably only clear up a few at a time, and it'll be ages before we get moving again."

"Come now, Edward," scoffed Gordon. "He's lifted Percy all by himself on his first day. Surely a few pipes won't be too big for him."

* * *

When Harvey finally arrived with a workman's coach in tow, he gawked at the mess that was in front of him. "It's going to take a very long time for me to clear all these pipes!" he exclaimed.

"It'll be fine," insisted Gordon. "Take all the time you need, little Harvey."

"And this is the same engine who insists on getting his passengers to his destination on time," muttered Edward darkly.

* * *

A little while later, Emily was passing with some holidaymakers in the opposite direction. "My passengers need to get through," she called to Gordon. "Why not have Edward go and get Rocky?"

"Certainly not," replied Gordon. "Harvey is doing a fine job. You need to learn to be patient, Emily."

"I already know that by now," retorted Emily, "but I'm worried about my passengers missing out on their holiday. They can't be kept waiting!"

Then Henry arrived with a heavy goods train, as well as James with the express.

"Come on, Harvey!" snapped James crossly, blowing his whistle. "Get a move on!"

"You're going to make us all late," added Henry.

"I'm sorry, guys," sighed Harvey. "But there's only so much I can lift."

Then things were about to get worse; Murdoch was coming back light engine on his way to Knapford. He couldn't see the pipes on the track until it was too late; Murdoch hit them with a crunch and came off the tracks!

"Ouch!" groaned Murdoch. "That really hurt!"

"I can't lift Murdoch," sighed Harvey. "He's much too heavy for me to lift."

"This could've been avoided if you'd simply let me bring Rocky to the scene!" Edward snapped at Gordon. "Are you proud of yourself, Gordon?"

Gordon didn't want to admit it, but deep down, he knew this was a disaster, and he also knew that Harvey couldn't lift Murdoch alone.

"This won't be an easy job for just one crane," said Emily. "You'll have to bring in Judy and Jerome along with Rocky."

"Very well," said Gordon. "Edward, could you go and get Rocky, Judy and Jerome?"

"With pleasure," replied Edward, and he quickly raced back to Knapford yards to find them.

* * *

Meanwhile, Judy and Jerome were talking about Rocky, occasionally glancing back at him. They had been like this since Rocky's arrival that morning, and they couldn't help but feel anxious about their future.

"You don't think he'll end up replacing us, Judy?" asked Jerome.

"Well, we are old cranes, Jerome," she replied.

"Judy! Please, don't say that about us!"

"Are you two alright?" Judy and Jerome both looked at Rocky in surprise.

"You two sound like you're fretting over something," Rocky continued.

"Us, fretting?" asked Judy.

"No, of course not!" chuckled Jerome.

"Who'd even think of doing such a thing?" As the two cranes continued chattering in denial over their worries, Edward quickly steamed into the yards, blowing his whistle frantically.

"There's been an accident near Suddery Junction!" he cried. "It's too big for just one crane, or possibly even two; we need all three of you to help clear away the mess!"

Judy and Jerome suddenly became very excited upon hearing this!

"Did you hear that, Jerome?" exclaimed Judy.

"A real emergency on our first day back!" replied Jerome.

Judy then looked at Rocky. "But what about that new crane?"

Edward smiled. "I believe we'll need Rocky's help as well."

"I'm ready and waiting!" called Rocky. "Let's go get 'em!" So Edward was coupled to the three cranes, and they all headed for Suddery Junction.

* * *

Because of the accident, a few trains had to be either rescheduled or cancelled altogether. Bertie had taken Emily's passengers to the seaside while a bus service was run between Wellsworth and Maron to get passengers on the express to the other end of the island. James was not too pleased about this arrangement.

"I should've been speeding down the line with coaches full of passengers admiring me," he grumbled. "Not giving them up to some buses!"

"We've got Arthur helping out at Maron in getting your passengers to their destinations," insisted Emily. "So at least be grateful they're getting somewhere at all."

Before James could say anymore, Edward had pulled up on the middle line with Judy, Jerome and Rocky in tow.

"First things first," said Edward. "We'll need to get Murdoch back onto the line."

"We'll fix this!" Judy and Jerome chirruped in unison. And before too long, the two cranes managed to get Murdoch back onto the track.

Murdoch was very happy to be back in motion again. "Thank you," he whistled to Judy and Jerome, and he set off for home.

Meanwhile, Rocky loaded the pipes back into Gordon's trucks.

"There you go, Gordon," called Rocky. "All ready to go!"

Then as James, Emily and Harvey took the three cranes back to Knapford, Gordon and Edward continued onto Brendam. Gordon didn't say a word all the way there; he had a lot to think about.

* * *

Gordon and Edward finally arrived at Brendam docks without further incident. Cranky looked down crossly at the two blue engines.

"Gee, it's about time you got here," he snarled. "What kept you?"

"We had a little bit of a mishap at the junction," explained Edward. Then, he added with a knowing, cheeky smirk, "Didn't we, Gordon?"

The big express engine didn't answer; he was wondering what Sir Topham Hatt would say about the delays caused by his carelessness. He found out sooner than later…

* * *

"Gordon, you are not to blame for the pipes not being tied down properly," Sir Topham Hatt spoke sternly to him that evening, "but your rushing about has given me a big headache in dealing with so many delays! And I heard that you were quite rude to Rocky that morning when he offered you and Edward some help. Did I hear that correctly, Gordon?"

"Yes, sir, you have," the big blue engine said sheepishly. Then he looked over to Rocky, who was sitting next to him. "I'm sorry I called you a new-fangled nonsense that would only get in the way. That was uncalled for on my part and I have no excuse for what I said."

"It's no sweat, Gordon," smiled Rocky. "I accept your apology. I'm just happy to help anyone out in need."

"So are we," agreed Jerome, before looking down with a mixture of worry and sadness.

"What's wrong, Jerome?" asked Judy. "You seem a bit down."

"Oh, nothing, Judy," answered Jerome. "It's just that… now that Rocky is here…"

"...it seems Sir Topham Hatt won't need us around anymore," finished Judy.

Rocky was surprised at what he had just heard. But before he could say anything, Sir Topham Hatt laughed.

"Judy and Jerome," he said to the two cranes, "why would you think I'd replace you?"

"Because Rocky is bigger…" replied Jerome.

"And newer…" added Judy.

"And stronger than us," they finished.

"But I'm not here to replace you two," Rocky broke in. "I'm here to help you out."

"Rocky is right," said Sir Topham Hatt. "Sodor has gotten busier over the past few years since the construction of the airport, and I thought that bringing in a new crane would help make your loads a bit lighter. Besides," he added, "I would never get rid of any of my engines or rolling stock."

The two old cranes were relieved to hear this news, but they still couldn't help but feel as if their days were numbered. Especially with the expansion of an emergency rescue center on the island, but that's a story for another day.

**THE END**

* * *

**Author's Comments**

I think the majority of the fandom can agree that _Edward Strikes Out_ is the worst portrayal of the old blue engine. Of course, they are the same people who want Edward to return to the Steam Team, even though this episode is a prime example as to why that shouldn't happen. He would end up getting forced into roles that end up rewriting his personality for the sake of the story, and fans don't like that as a result. I personally feel Edward is better off as a major supporting character, and many of his best roles were when he was one; _The Adventure Begins_ being a great example of that.

For this rewrite, Edward speaks in defense of Rocky, and I even gave Judy and Jerome roles to play, to set up their rivalry with Rocky for a couple of other rewrites I have in mind, one of them ending up in Series 13-16 Redux, which is currently being written as we speak. Mike (who helped to co-write this) even added in a bit of dialogue from Emily explaining why Donald and Douglas sometimes take absences up to _Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure_.


End file.
